Ricciardo wins Laureus breakthrough award

Red Bull ace Daniel Ricciardo has been awarded the Laureus breakthrough of the year award for a standout F1 2014 season.

The Australian speedy Ricciardo won three grands prix and five podium finishes in last year. Wednesday night he was honoured with the Laureus world breakthrough of the year award at a ceremony in Shanghai.

He was the only non-Mercedes driver to win a race and ended the year third in the overall driver’s championship.

Ricciardo is the fourth F1 driver to win the Breakthrough of the Year award, following in the footsteps of Juan Pablo Montoya (2002), Lewis Hamilton (2008) and Jenson Button (2010).

“2014 is a year I’ll remember for a long time — it was definitely a breakthrough in my mind as well,” he told reporters. Standing on the top step of the podium a few times was icing on the cake.”